Where Bad Habits Begin
by FieryBrunette
Summary: A one-shot about the first time our lovely James Potter ever sees Lily Evans as more than an annoying little girl and when a certain handthroughthehair habit starts.Rated T for language and innuendo. R&R?


**Authors Note- I own no characters in this story otherwise I would be the 2nd richest woman in England not J.K. Rowling. **

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It had been an extremely short summer, in James Potter's opinion. In the course of 3 months he had grown an inch, built a tree house with the Marauders in his backyard, gone to and crashed at least 10 summer banquets, pranked his parents at least 20 times, and flirted with at least 30 girls. He was really quite proud of himself and planned to do more damage upon entering his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Smiling and laughing quietly, he braced himself and ran his luggage trolley through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. The morning sun danced across the pavement as he strode forward. No sooner had he pushed through onto platform 9 ¾, a figure with shaggy, black hair and clear grey eyes attacked James in as great big bear hug.

"Prongsie!" Cried the attacker, whose name was Sirius Black, "How have ya' been? Long time no see, eh?"

"I could say the same to you Padfoot," Said James mockingly as he fixed his glasses that had been knocked askew by Sirius' ambush, "Last time I saw you was about two days ago, correct?"

"I reckon so," Answered Sirius lazily, running a hand through his long hair and winking at a seventh year prefect, who blushed.

"Hey any sightings of Moony and Wormtail?" Asked James, winking at the seventh year as well.

"In the compartment," Replied Sirius, "C'mon lets go load your stuff on the train."

Together the two teens pulled the massive luggage trolley over to the train. The buzz of people swarmed around them, and they had to be careful where they stepped as they grunted forward with the heavy suitcase.

"Jesus Christ, James, what did you put in here, rocks?"

"Nope."

"Dragon Dung?"

"Partially."

"Aww, c'mon, what is it?" Sirius whined, vaguely sounding like a puppy.

James stopped pulling the trolley and said simply, "Pranks." He laughed when his friend's eyes went as round as saucers.

"Pranks?" Whispered Sirius tentatively.

"Pranks," Confirmed James, "Lots and lots of pranks. We should be good to go up until Christmas break as long as we stick to two pranks a week. We've got filibusters wet-start fireworks, screaming and swearing books, and my personal favorite, telescopes that spurt permanent ink on your face when you turn the focus knob. Of course, we'll have to put those up in the astronomy tower before term starts tomorrow. And a bunch of other pranks will be getting sent in from Zonko's because I ordered by owl as well."

"YES!" Sirius crowed, punching the hair, "Non-stop pranking for the next four months! So," He glanced around, as if looking to make sure no one was listening, "Who are we gonna hit first?"

"Well," Began James, who had clearly put as lot of thought on the subject, "I was thinking Snivelly, but why give one slimy git a welcome back present when you can give all of the slimy gits welcome back presents?"

"Slytherin House?" Sirius asked while grinning madly.

"Slytherin House." James said firmly, though breaking into a grin when he saw the joyous expression on his friend's face.

"And Evans?" Sirius asked, taking grip of the trolley cart again.

"What about Evans, Black?" Said a new, clear and almost pristine voice.

James knew who it was before he even turned around.

It was Lily Evans, his favorite female pranking subject. Most of the new products were tested on her, but the problem was, with every prank the Marauder's played on her, they got an equal number of bruises in return.

Evans was a perfectionist, if not an obsessive perfectionist. She was always first at the teacher's desk to turn in homework, always first to raise her hand and most annoyingly, first to tell on the Marauder's before they could stop her. She was always the hardest person to prank because A) she was extremely popular and was always with a group of friends, so therefore it was impossible to get her alone B) she was very smart and usually new how to make the pranks backfire C) teachers would actually notice if she disappeared suddenly because she always had to be oh-so-punctual and D) The Marauders didn't like getting slapped, kicked and punched for all they were worth.

One thing that James and his friends had agreed on about Evans was that she was feisty. She fought like a werewolf and dueled like an auror. Many trips to the hospital wing for the Marauders were a result of those traits.

So, as James turned, he fully expected to see short and stocky Lily Evans, probably about to hex them into oblivion for simply saying her name. But instead, James Potter was about to receive the biggest shock of his life.

He turned.

Holy Crap.

Lily Evans was (there was no other word to describe it) BEAUTIFUL.

Her body that was once covered with a layer of baby fat, was now curvy and (though still stocky) rather sexy. This problem wasn't helped by the fact that she was wearing jeans and a green, V-neck shirt revealing cleavage he had never known existed on her. Her face had filed out and her luminous green eyes sparkled dazzlingly above the few freckles that covered her cheeks.

Her hair (which was unnameable and frizzy last time he checked) was now hanging in loose curls that shaped her milky white face perfectly. Her dark, fierce eyebrows were scrunched up in annoyance, her hands with now long instead of bitten fingernails were place on her highly appealing hips, and her plush, pink lips were pursed.

James wondered what it would be like if he kissed those lips, if he embraced those curves. Oh if only he could-

"What?" She snapped.

James woke up out of his reverie, blinking like an owl on broad daylight. He hadn't even realized that both his and Sirius' jaws had dropped in awe.

Lily Evans, the brain, the perfectionist, the girl who could hit as hard as hell, was hot. And for any Marauder, when you found any one of the opposite sex attractive, you move in for the kill.

"What are you staring at?" She asked again moodily, her brilliant green eyes narrowing into emerald slits.

"I..." Began James, but he could not say anything for he was lost for words. When had the stocky, frizzy-haired little spitfire transformed into something so radiant?

James blushed deeply and for the first time in his life, ran a hair through his black untidy hair, casting his hazel eyes down wards in an attempt to stop ogling at Evans.

_I've never done that before, _thought James about running a hand through his hair and blushing. _James Potter never blushes and runs a hand through his hair! Come on Prongs pull yourself together! _But instead of stopping he repeated the hand through the hair action again, and this time, he felt cockier and more prepared to face this new-found eye-candy that was Lily Evans.

Suddenly, Sirius wolf whistled and said, "Evans, are you wearing make-up?"

"Black, you know I boycott mainstream slags and their excessive use of makeup. The closest thing to make-up I have on is cherry flavored lip balm, not that either of you would care."

But James did care, yes; he cared found himself caring quite a lot. _Cherry flavored lips, _he thought, _mmmmmm._

"Well," continued Sirius, "Something happened to you Evans, cause you look fine. Like, lets-go-snog-in-a-broom-closet fine."

"Come near me Black and the consequences will be painful and out of my control," She replied icily, crossing her hands defensively over her chest.

"Don't worry Evans, keep your pants on, you're not my type, although Prongs here--."

He was cut off as James punched him in the arm. Turning to Lily, James found his arrogant, cocky voice and said, "What he means to say is, I'm single and looking for a fun-loving girl, which means you, Evans, are definitely not on the list of girls I would want to date."

His hand ran through his hair again and his heart quailed in fear as her already narrowed eyes narrowed even more.

"What are you implying?" She asked in a deadly quiet voice which was terrifying. Lily Evans was a naturally loud person, who always made herself clear, so when she was quiet it was generally not a good sign.

Before James could come up with another saucy reply, while asking her to go out with him, Sirius blurted, "All he's saying is that you are a prudy perfectionist who should mind her own business, and that you've got that stick shoved so far up your arse that it'll take millions of galleons to get it surgically removed. And as nice and sexy as you look today Evans, we politely suggest that you find a nice little boyfriend that will listen to your dictating so you won't have to go around biting everyone else's head off, all right?"

James smacked his hand to his head as his friend caught his breath, looking rather pleased with himself.

_That is so like Padfoot, to say something stupid and pointless to possibly the hottest girl in our year, _thought James pathetically.

But instead of bursting into tears like any other girl would've done, Lily rushed forward and punched Sirius in the nose.

SMACK&CRACK

Sirius' painful howl rang through the station and several first years ran frantically onto the train screaming hysterically about a werewolf rampage.

Blood gushed forth and he was blubbering like an idiot.

"Ebans thu prat!" Sirius yelled through his broken nose, "That hurt thu besity didlle b-." He stopped talking as Lily instantly pulled out her wand and mended his nose, though not bothering to clean up his bloody face and shirt.

"Now then," Lily began coolly, swinging an auburn lock over her shoulder, "I think that insult earned you both a detention. I'll alert McGonagall as soon as we got to Hogwarts. She'll let you know when you can serve it."

"WHAT?!" Cried James, who was trying hopelessly to clean the blood off his friend without magic.

"Well, as miraculous as it seems, I've been made Prefect." Lily smiled slightly, indicating a golden badge on her left shoulder.

James froze. And then ran a hand through his hair.

_Lily Evans, a Prefect? I hadn't even noticed the badge cause I was too busy looking at her... Oh no Oh no. Oh no. OH NO. This can't be possible!_

James just stood there dumbfounded as Evans smirked and Sirius continued to wipe at his face.

_If Evans was bad enough news to us as a regular student, imagine what she will be like as a prefect!_

He shuddered at the thought.

Finally, after weighing all the odds that Evil Evans would ever become a prefect, he turned to her placing his lopsided, trademark, grin on his face and said, "C'mon Evans, show some sport. We prank for fun. Ever heard of fun? Yeah, you probably wouldn't recognize it if it danced in front of your face naked. I mean really--."

SMACK

James was knocked off his feet, yelping and clutching at the left side of his face where a black eye was already sporting.

"Ow! God, Evans, where did you learn to hit like that!?"

He couldn't believe just how hard she had punched him. James and Sirius both silently agreed that Lily Evans had a bout the same punch as a big, clunky, seventh year and that was saying quite a lot, seeing as she was neither big and clunky nor a seventh year.

"Another comment Potter," She began still looking annoyed, "And you're new shiner will have an identical twin."

James ran a hand through his hair, (_I've gotta stop doing that)_ and scrambled up and grabbed the luggage carrier for support. Sirius was still trying to remove the blood from his face without magic.

"All right, Evans," Sirius said, spitting blood onto the train tracks, "You win for now but you better be ready cause when we get revenge we get revenge hard."

Lily laughed. James liked her laughter. Like a boiling pot of water, light and bubbly. He wished he could make her laugh like that.

"I'll be ready with both fists and wand up," She replied, nodding.

The train whistle sounded, meaning exactly five minutes until the train started to move. They hadn't even noticed all of the students looking out at them from the compartment windows. Sirius began waving cheerily at all of them as they gasped at his bloody nose.

"Well then, I must be off. So long gentlemen." She walked past them haughtily. James was almost too stunned to move, but got enough sense to go and apologize. He ran after her, leaving Sirius behind to grudgingly load the luggage onto the train.

"Hey, Evans!" He called.

She turned so quickly he almost ran straight into her.

"What Potter?" She sounded extremely peeved now.

James tried to find the words to apologize but then he looked at her face and her sparkling emerald eyes the shape of almonds. His eyes ran up and down her body and before he could pull himself together to say the right thing, hormones took over and he blurted, "You really do look fine."

Needless to say, James Potter's cheek was seconds later marked with a red version of Lily's hand print.

She stalked away onto the train and he dully noted how her hips swayed slightly as she walked.

"Prongs, you need therapy. You just hit on the Prudy Perfectionist Prefect. You, mate, need help," Sirius walked up beside him, the blood finally gone.

"Hey, I really couldn't help it, she was just, AMAZING. I mean, did you see what she looked like?" James ranted, staring at the spot where she had just been standing.

"Yeah well, start helping it. She is not on the Marauder list of Dateable Girls. You know that right?"

"I like a challenge," Smiled James, "I mean did you hear her laugh? It was.....SHE was something else."

"Wait just a minute," Sirius looked incredulously at his friend and began boarding the train, which had started moving, "Are you implying that that.... Mercenary actually has dating potential?"

"No, I just--." James stopped as he saw Lily Evans sitting in a compartment with her friends. Her face was alive with laughter but upon seeing him she glared and turned the other way.

Running a hand through his hair (again) he grinned slightly and turned to his friend and said decidedly, "You know what Padfoot, I think I fancy Lily Evans."

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**Please review. I know this isn't that great of quality, seeing as I wrote it about a year ago. It was my very first one-shot. But I'd be obliged if you'd please review!**


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